Indicator for vehicles



G. `H. BRUDER.

v 'xi-ND'ICMOR FOR VEHICLES; yAPPLICATION FILED ocr. 4, 191s. l1,341,009. Patelltd M35 25, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Y G. H. BRUDER. .mmc/11011 FOR VEHICLES. Y APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4v. 1918. Y

' Patentd' M3125, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. H. BRUDER. INDICATOR FoR vHlcL'Es.

l APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4| I9I8. 1,341,009.

'Patented May 25, 1920.

Patented May 25, 1920.

-SHEET 4.

willi! l l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. BRUDER, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed @ctober 4, 1918.

To (/,ZZ wlw/1L 'it' muy concern.'

Be it known that I, Gnonon H. BRUDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at lilitehburg, in the'county of lVorcester, State of lidassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Vehicles; and l do hereby declare the oli lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention', such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to indicators for vehicles and it has for its object to provide an improved structure wherein the various indicating members may be operated from a single manually actuated element.

in the present invention a semaphore is mounted and provided with means for swinging it to a plurality of indicating positions, selectively, there being in addition a target which upon adjustment and further movement ott such` means, is swung into aC- tive position as the semaphore is moved to neutral position.

lu the embodiment of the invention which it has been elected to illustrate Figure l is a perspective view showing the apparatus set to indicate'the right-hand turn, the left-h and end portion of the attaching means being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the structure shown in l? l with a portion of the tiltable bracket arm partly in section. l

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bracket arm and its mounting, the wind-shield post being in section.

Fig. 4iis a vertical section taken from iront to rear through the semaphore, the target, their casing and the bracket arm, with the parts neutral.

l? 5 is a vertical section on line 5"-5 of Fig. 4L, and showing the rack and its mounting.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

F 7 is a transverse section on line 7 7 ot F ig. k5.

F ig. 8 is perspective view illustrating the target and the double rack-bar, disconnected and illustrating the slot of the target and the pin of the rack-bar that strikes the bottom oi the slot at times to swing the target.

F ig. 9 is a perspective view partly broken away and showing the transverse bar that extends from the signal supporting` bracket Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 256,876.

to the opposite side of the wind-shield with its clamping means and with the operating lever and its latch, carried thereby.

lF ig. l0 is a sectional view taken vertically through the transverse bar shown in Fig. 9 and through the lever supporting bracket arried by it, a portion of the lever and associated parts being also in section, with the remainder in elevation.

Ei g. il is a detail horizontal sectional view through the pitman that connects the operating lever with the horizontal rackbar that actuates the pinion with which the vertical double rack-bar also engages.

li' l2 is an elevation oin the bracket clamp with which the bracket arm is tiltably connected.

Fig. 13 is a section on line 13-13 of Fig. l2, showing the clamp member oi the main supporting bracket engaged with an upright et a wind-shield.

Fig. 14 is a view showing in perspective and disassembled, portions of certain oi' the parts, to illustrate the manner ot connecting themL Referring to the drawings, the present invention is illustrated as mounted upon the wind-shield frame of an automobile which in the present instance includes uprights Q0 between which is illustrated a board 2l that may be a part of the frame or part of the body of the vehicle or whatever else the general equipment may dictate.

The indicator illustrated comprises a bracket arm 22 thatis mounted, in the present instance, upon the right hand upright or post 20 of the wind shield through the medium of a clamp with which it has tilting connection that permits of adjustments, as will be presently explained.

At the outer end oi the bracket arm 22 which as illustrated, is hollow and open bottomed, there are spaced upwardly projecting casing members 23 and 2st, registering one with the other and the upper portions of which conform in outline to the semaphore employed, while their lower portions conform to the target employed.

A pivot pin 25 is mounted in the casing members and pivoted on it is a semaphore 26, which is illustrated in the form of an arrow. rFhe semaphore is in the form of a hollow sheet metal box having front and rear red glass plates 26', there being a solid block 27 intermediate the ends of the semaphore that directly receives the pivot pin.

When the semaphore is in vertical position, which is its inoperative or neutral position, it may stand either erect or inverted.

1vVhen the operator of the vehicle contemplatesturning to the right or to the left, thersemaphore is correspondingly swung in a horizontal position to indicate the direction intended. To thus swing the semaphore, there is fixed at one side, concentric with its axis of oscillation, a pinion 29 which is engaged by a rack 30 at one side of a longitudinal slot 31 in a double rack-bar 32, and through this slot there passes also the pin 25 of the semaphore.

The front member 24 of the semaphore casing is at its lower portion spaced farther from the rear member 23 than at its upper portion so that there results a jog 33, above which the members are connected as shown. 1n the jog 33 is a slot 35 in which is adapted to reciprocate, the upper narrowed end 36 of the double rack-bar 32, the lower end of which is slidably mounted in a slot 37 in the upper wall 38 of the bracket arm 22, which as stated, is hollow and open at its underside.

Passed from front to rear through the side walls of the bracket arm 22 is a shaft 39, upon which, between the sides of the bracket are sleeves 40between which is rotatably mounted upon the shaft a pinion 4l. The sleeves 40 are between Cotter pins 40 engaged through the shaft 39 that serve to hold the shaft from sliding longitudinally from place and also to prevent the sleeves from sliding apart and permitting endwise movement of the pinion and shaft.

The pinion 41 lies within a slot 42 formed longitudinally of the lower end portion of the bar 32 and engages a rack 43 forming one side of the slot 42. Thus when the pinion is rotated in one direction, bar 32 will be raised to swing the semaphore with its headed end to the left and when the pinion is operated in the oppositedirection, the barV 32 will be lowered to swing the semaphore with its head to the right, to correspondingly indicate the direction of progress contemplated by the operator of the vehicle. Toindicatethe intention of the operator to stop, there is employed a target including an annular head 46 that isin effect avtrun- Vcated or short cylinder having an opaque wall while its ends are formed of transparent or translucent plates 47 that are prefer.

ably red and from this cylindrical head there radiates a stem 48 which in the structure illustrated, is hollow. From front to rear'through the stem 48, that is parallel with the axisofthe cylindrical head, there are formed registering perforations 49 that receive the pin or shaft 25 kon which is 'pivotably mounted the semaphore 26 so that the target, which hangs normally with its head downwardly between and in registration may be exposed. To thus shift the target, it is provided with a slot 50 formed longi tudinally of itsstem and beyond the perfo- Arations 49 from the head of the target the lower end of this slot when the target is in neutral position, approaching the horizontal upper tangent of thecorresponding perforation 49 of the target stem 48. Projecting from the double rack-bar 32 is a pin 5l that engages the slot'50 and lies midway between the ends of the slot when the semaphore and ,target are in neutral positions simultaneously.

1t will be understood that if the rack-bar 32 is raised or lowered to a limited extent, the semaphore will be swung topoint to the right or to the left in horizontal position, with the pin 5l having lost motion 'in the slot 50, the various parts being correspondingly proportioned. The proportions are such'that when the rack-bar 32 has been lowered to effect a horizontal position of the semaphore, the pin 5l is against the lower end of the slot 50. Further downward movement of the rack-bar 32 then serves to move the semaphore to inverted position, through cooperation of the 'pinion 29 and rack 30. During this final movement of the semaphore, the pin 51 being spaced laterally from the shaft 25, said pin presses first on the lower end wall'of the slot 50, from which itpasses to the left-hand side wall in Fig. 8 as the head of the target swings gradually to the right, so that the target is finallyswung with its head entirely exposed from the casing at the time the semaphore is inverted. y `Then the rack-bar 32 rises, the semaphore is rotated to its erect or upright position and the pin 5l moves correspondingly first from the side to the end of the slot V50 and then upwardly in said slot, and the target is permitted to gravitate into the casing. I Y Y p The manner of mouting the bracket arm will be described before the manner of reciprocating the rack 32, for the reason that some of the elements that actuate the reciprocating mechanism are carried by the samemeans that supportsthe bracket arm.

Refering to Fig. 1 of the drawingsy and Fig. 3, it will be noted that the side wall of theinner end portion of the bracket arm 22 -are unconnected at their tops as well as at their bottoms, which latter has already been stated and tliatvthese side wall portions constitute gripping jaws 52 that are actuated through the medium of screws 53 to engage them upon the cylindrical body portion of a bar 54. The lower end portion of the bar 54 which is offset beyond the side face of the cylindrical body portion, is flattened and is perforated to receive a pivot 55 that attaches it to the lower portion of the laterally directed face of an angle plate 56. At the upper edge of this face of the angle plate there is formed a liange 57 that overhangs said plate and is provided with a longitudinal slot 58 that is directed laterally of said face. Through ythis slot 58 extends the upper reduced end portion 59 ofthe bar 54, which portion is threaded and receives a thumb nut 6() which by impingement 'against the flange 57, serves to hold the bar 54 at different points of its angular movement on pivot pin 55. The object of this particular arrangement will be presentlyT explained.

The plate 56 receives within its angle, in the arrangement illustrated, the righthand post 2O of the wind-shield, in which position it is held throughpthe medium oit an angular clamp plate including a. wing 6l disposed slidably against that wing of the angle plate 56 having the iange 57 and in which position it is slidably held by headed lingers 62 that are struck from the angle plate 56 and passed through theYkey-hole 63 in the wing 6l so that the fwing 6l may move laterally of the contacting wing of the angle'plate 56. The other wing of the angular clamping plate has its outer edge portion bent to form a clamping jaw 64C that engages about the post 20, against the opposite side tace'of which restsv the jaw 65 projecting from the corresponding wing of the angle plate 56. Clamping action of these jaws is effected through the medium of screws passed loosely through' the angle plate 56 and engaging threaded openings in the angular clamp plate.

The descriptionjust given develops the reason for the swinging rod 5e on which the bracket arm is mounted. If the post 2O` be noterect, but inclined rearwardly as often occurs, the rod 54:, by adjustment on its pivot may nevertheless be in a vertical yposition so that the semaphore and target will operate in a vertical plane, eX-

cepting as modified by the incline oi the vehicle equipped.

As illustrated, the wing of the angular plate 56 against which the rod 5a is pivoted, extends fore and aft of the vehicle while its other `wing extends laterally and inwardly ot the vehicle, and between this last named wing and the member 2l ot' the vehicle there is disposed a bar 67 which is held to this wing by means of T-shaped lingers 68 that are struck :tromY the wing and are engaged in key-hole slots 69 in the bar, the heads of which key-hole slots are inwardly oi thek bar. The opposite end of the bar 67 is turned in the direction of the element 2l of the vehicle and provided with a slot 70 in which is slidably disposed a bar 71 having at its inner endV a headed linger 72 projecting laterally therefrom first through a key-hole 4slot 73 in the bar 67 andthen through an elongated slot 74 in a bar 75V that overlies the bar 67, extends beyond the laterally turned end of it and is provided with a hook 76 at its end beyond the bar 67 which hook engages around the other post 2O oit the wind-shield. rlhe bar 71 has a narrowed threaded extension 77 passed through the base portion of the hook 76'and provided with a hand-nut 7S which when rotated serves to slide or to release bars 67 and 75, depending upon its direction of rotation. The sliding movement draws the hook 76 into close clamping engagement with the post 20.

The bar 67 carries a bracket consisting of a metal plate including a central or body portion 8O from one end of which extend lateral arms 8l having integral iingers 82 at their upper and lower edge portions respectively that are engaged in hook form over the upper and lower edges respectively of the bar 67, thus to secure the bracket thereto.

F rom the lower portion of the bodyy 80, the plate extends rearwardly and upwardly and is then broadened as shown at 83 where it `is provided with a transverse slot S2 above which, the plate is extended toward and at right angles to the body portion SO, as shown at 6B', its extremity being turned upwardly to lie against the body above its arms 8l, where it is held by integral hooked lingers that engage about the side portions of the body above the arms.

Passed through the slot 62 is an actuating lever S5 that is pivoted at its inner end'to the top 83 of the bracket and it is this actuating lever 85 that is manually operated 'to efect'the various adjustments of the signal elements. The leve-r 65 is operatively connected with the pinion el to rotate itin one direction or the other, through the medium of a link 86 which is pivoted to the lever and al rack-bar 87 connected with the link 86 and whose rack engages the pinion 4l. The connecting rod 86 at one end, within the casing of the bar 67, is bent upon itself and secured in truncated triangular form and at the top ot the truncated triangle is an'upwardly directed headed Jringer 87 which normally lies in the narrowed portion of a key-hole slot 88 through the enlarged part oi' which the linger is introduced, the t of the linger in the narrowed portion being sui'iiciently loose to Vinsure reciprocation ot the rod 86 when the leyer is swung from side to side. The base ot the truncated ti"- angle has a longitudinal slot 89 in which lies a headed pin 9() that projects from the body LSO of the iracket and holds the link slidably positioned. The link is slidably supported at its opposite end portion through the medium of a similar headed linger 91 that lprojects from the angle bracket and vlever 85 in that direction.

lies normally within the-narrowed portion of a key-hole slot 92 in the link.` Beyond lthis keylhole slot, the link is turned laterally upper and lower edges respectively of the rack-bar 87.

The rack-bar 87 is slidably mounted in slotted guides 95 that depend 'from thetop of the bracket arm 22 and hold this rack-bar in engagement with the pinion 41. Y n

.u `Nowy the slot r82 is of such length and positionthat when the leverS isv swung to the left to contact with the end wall of the slot, the rack-bar 87 will have been 'corres'pondingly drawn to give theV pinion l1 sufficient rotation to4 raise the rack-,bar 32 and move the pinion 29 with the semaphore 26 an angular distance of ninety degrees. y,If

Ythe lever 85' be swung to theright until it contacts the other end wall orn the slot 82, the bar k87, pinion 4:1, bar 32 and pinion 29 will be oppositely moved to carry the semayphore an yangular distancey of one hundred and eighty degrees from its normal, neutral or upright position, which effects inversion of the semaphore and setting of the target. In order to limit movement of the lever S5 to the right so as to correspondingly set the Ysemaphorewithout setting the target, a stop is movably mounted on the lever at one side and normally is in position tok contact with the right-'handend wall of thev slot 82 and correspondingly limit the movement of the This stop is shown at 96 as projecting laterally from a plate97 that underlies the lever 85 and has When the outer end l grasped, the thumb maybe pressed against Vthumb piece 98 ndiumor1 which upon the` lever.

its outer end turned upwardly to forml a which is slottedpin its lower portion as shown at-99 and through the lmeslot it is slidably mounted The plate 97 at itsy inner end portion lies below 'the Vtop 83 of the lever supporting brackety and has an elongated slot 100 through which passes the iinger S7-and to the inner extremity ofthe plate 97 is attached at one end,a spring 101 which is attached at its other endto the lever and serves to holdthe plate k97 nor mally and yieldably with the stopv 96 in position to engage the end wall of the slot 82.

the thumb piece 98 to slide the plate 9% and carry the stop 96 out of position to contact Y with the end wall ofthe slot 82, when the lever may be swung yto the right toa distance sufficient to invert the semaphore and set the target.

The'lever 85 isvprovided Ywith an index ,102 that overhangs the top 83 of the bracket and traverses a scale marked lto vindicate the active,posit1ons of the semaphore vand target. When thellever is in position with of the lever 85 is Y the indicating membersl at rest, it lies in a depression 103 midway of the'ends ofV the lower side of the slot 82.' 'i lNithin each yend of the semaphore there'is mounted an electriclamp Y104k and'105 respectively while within the head of the tarn member into indicating position upon movep ment oi"y vthe first indicating member beyond its lindicating position to unindicating :position. I

2. An indicator comprising an indicating member having a neutral position and reversely movable therefrom to indicating yposition, a second indicating member having a neutral position and movable therefrom to indicating position and connections between the indicating members for movement o the second member to indicating position. upon movement of the lirst member in one direction to indicating position in one direction only. f i Y 3. An indicator comprising a'pair of inl dicating members each inovableinto and out of indicating position, an actuatingV member disposed between the indicating members and having permanent operative connection with one ofthem and means for operating theother indicating' member .when the op erating member' is actuated to Vcarry the first named member beyond an indicating Vposition. y f y 4L. An indicator comprisinga pair of pivoted indicating members, a slidable bar mounted betweenthe indicating members and permanently connected with one of them for swinging it reversely into opposite'in dicating positions and 'for inverting itand means carried by the bar and engageable with theA second indicating member to move it into indicating position when the bar is moved to swing the first indicating member f from indicating to inverted position.

- 5. An indicator comprisingy a semaphore pivotally mounted for movement to opposite indicating and to inverted positions, a pin.- ion carried by the indicator, a movable rackbar engaged with the pinion or'reversely rotating it, a target'pivotally mounted for movementinto andr out of indicating position and provided with a slot to offset laterallyv from its pivotand a pin carried by the rack-bar and lying Ywithin the slot, the' pin havingV unobstructed movement in the slot when therack-bar is reciprocated to move the semaphore to indicating position,

the slot and pin being correlatively positioned to engage the pm with the bottom of the slot aud swinging semaphore to indicate the position when the rack-bar is moved to carry the semaphore beyond a direction indit-ating` position.

6. A direction indicator comprising an indicating clement pivotally mounted tor oscilhitory movement to opposite indicating iositions, pinion coaxial with the indicating` element and fixed thereto, a reciprocatory rack-bar having` a rack engaged with the pinion7 a second pinion rotatably mounted, a second. rack carried by a bar and engaged with the second pinion, a second rachbar having .its rack enga-ged With the second pinion and means for reciprocating the second rack-bar.

7. The combination With a direction indicating member mounted for oscillation into and out of indicating position and a support tor the indicating member comprising a member that carries the indicating member and a second member adapted for attachment to a vehicle and With respect to Which the lirst named supporting member is pivotally adjustable in a plane at right angles to the plane of oscillation of the indicating member.

8. in indicator comprising an indicating member movable into and out of indicating position and a support comprisinga member by which the indicating` member is carried and an attaching' member With Which the carrying member is connected lor adjustment in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of the indicator into and out of indicating position.

9. An indicator comprisinga pair of indicating members constructed and arranged for successive movement to indicating)` position, a lever, means operatively connected between the lever and the indicating members for actuating one of them under normal movement of the lever and for actuating,` the other ott them upon a further movement of the lever and means for selectively limiting the movement of the lever.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

GEORGE H. BRUDER. 

